Grilled Ham & Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Honey and Djon Mustard

One of my favorite things in life is cheese.  It makes absolutely everything you add it to 10 times better, be it sandwiches, salads, pasta dishes or even pancakes, believe it or not.  I tend to gravitate towards recipes with cheese in them and if cheese isn't in a recipe, I will even typically add it.  It should come as no surprise that one of my favorite sandwiches is grilled cheese.  It is definitely a comfort food for me, one I have been eating and enjoying since childhood.  It is also a great sandwich to experiment with, adding different cheeses, meats or sauces.  You really can't go wrong with it, unless you let it burn.  Don't do this as there is nothing worse then a burnt grilled cheese sandwich, lol!

The grilled ham & swiss cheese sandwich was one I can remember seeing on Emeril a while back.  At the time I watched the episode, adding honey to a grilled cheese sandwich sounded kind of strange to me so I tucked the recipe neatly in my brain somewhere safe and proceeded to forgot about it until a couple of weeks ago when I was getting ready to make a grilled ham and swiss sandwich and happened to see some honey sitting on the counter.  Emeril's recipe came flooding back to me and  I thought I would go ahead and give it a whirl.  Thank goodness I did.  Trust me, you will want to make this one.  It is super yummy.  The tangyness of the djon mustard with the sweetness of the honey makes for a perfect flavor combination.   My husband and I enjoyed it so much, I've made it 4 different times over the past two weeks. 

Grilled Ham & Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Honey and Djon Mustard - recipe adapted from Emeril

Ingredients (makes 2 sandwiches):
4 slices of bread
6 slices of deli sliced ham
2 slices of swiss cheese
butter, spreadable
honey
djon mustard

Directions:
1.  Spread butter evenly all over one side of each bread slice.  (This part does get a bit messy, but remember, it's worth it)
2.  On the other side of the buttered bread, spread with honey on two slices and djon mustard on the other two slices. 
3.  Sandwich three slices of ham and 1 slice of swiss between the honey and djon side of your bread slices.  Keeping the butter side on the top and bottom.
4.  Fry the sandwhich in a skillet under medium heat, about 5 minutes per side, until golden brown.  Serve warm.

Recipe Hunting 101 - Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Before I get into today's post I want to say that I am so proud my 2010 New Years Resolution was a complete success!  I had a great time searching for tasty recipes, discovering some amazing blogs, and actually making use of my kitchen on a regular basis.  I fully intend to continue my culinary adventure in 2011.  I am having too much fun to stop now.

One of my favorite places to grab a sandwich and soup is at Panera Bread.  There bread is just amazing, and their soup is simply to die for.  My particular favorite is Broccoli Cheddar.  I was craving some the other day and decided I might as well give it a go myself.  My husband and I gobbled this soup right up.  It was super rich and creamy and wonderfully tasty!!!

Broccoli Cheddar Soup - recipe adapted from Mel's Kitchen Cafe

Ingredients:
1/2 small onion, minced
2 cups chicken broth
1/3 cup flour
1/4 cup butter
1/2 tsp black pepper
Salt, to taste
1-1/2 cups shredded cheddar cheese ( I used Kraft's Triple Cheddar)
1/2 cup shredded swiss cheese
2 cups milk (I used whole milk)
2-1/2-3 cups chopped broccoli, steamed

Directions:
1.  Steam the broccoli and set it aside.
2.  In a small saucepan, cook the chicken soup and onion on medium heat for 15-20 minutes until the onions are soft. 
3.  Melt the butter in a medium saucepan under low heat, add flour and pepper and whisk together.  Allow to cook for a 1-2 minutes then add milk.  Increase heat to medium-high and allow mixture to thicken up. 
4. Sitr in chicken broth until thoroughly combined.  Add cheeses and mix well. Add salt to taste, then stir in the broccoli and serve.